Corruption
by Tint
Summary: Karen's had a hard life. But when Zack starts going on a power trip, taking control of the town, her life gets even worse. She is forced to live on the streets until a kind soul takes her in. Will there be a happy ending for her?
1. Kicked Out

Corruption

Chapter 1: Kicked Out

_A/N: I missed you guys. This long withdrawal from writing fanfiction has taken a toll on me. It used to be such a mainstay of my everyday routine, but I never really noticed until recently. Hopefully I'm not rusty._

_As always, I do not own Harvest Moon or anything else that I make reference to here within. This fic is rated teen for mild language, some sexual content, and plenty of death. As for a preview, I can't say much without giving away the plot. Basically, Karen's run into some really hard times and all of the blame can be pointed on one person, the Lecherous Man. But, Karen somehow manages to find love when everything looks horribly lost. Even more problems soon arise, making things even worse than before._

(-)

It was late on a Saturday evening in the middle of Winter. Every light in town had been turned out for the night, except one. The Inn still was bustling with activity as the men of Mineral Town held their weekly poker game. A rather rowdy bunch from the constant supply of wine and other alcoholic beverages, they seemed to be having a good time. Well, almost everyone. Jeff watched in disbelief as the large pile of gold coins was snatched from under his nose.

There was a moment of stunned silence. Nobody could believe the luck that Zack had. There was only one card left in the deck that would save him and he got it. Now, poor Jeff was left without a single coin in front of him. Jeff was shaking nervously as he stood up from the table, still looking at the cards in denial. Zack seemed proud of his victory, proudly gloating about his sudden gain in wealth.

"Please. Zack! That money was my savings for Karen's wedding! Give me a chance to win it back!" Jeff had fallen to his knees, begging Zack to deal the cards one more time.

A smug look had crossed Zack's face, "I don't think so. If you didn't want to risk losing that money, you shouldn't have bet it. It belongs to me now."

"Zack, don't be so heartless." One of the other men sitting at the table spoke up. "You know that Jeff has trouble with money…"

"Fine." Zack spat out, "But, what does Jeff have left that can equal the value of this money?"

Jeff's hands shook terribly as he reached towards his jacket pocket. He produced a carefully sealed envelope and calmly placed it on the table. "This… This is the deed to my store and my house. I put it on the line… against the gold that you won last hand. One hand, please…"

Zack pondered the deal. He had been extremely lucky so far tonight. Not only had he just bankrupted Jeff, but he had also won thousands of gold pieces from Doug and Barley. If he wanted to, he could take control of this town. The money was there and he had the power… "Deal," Zack stated as he pushed the pile of coins back into the center of the round table.

Everyone else at the table couldn't believe what they had just heard. They noticed from the evil gleam in Zack's eye that not only did Jeff's future depend on this deal of the cards, but their own as well. "What happened to you Zack?" Doug asked as he nervously began shuffling the deck of cards.

A low, yet cruel sounding chuckle came from Zack. "For too long, this town has depended on me to survive. I'm the one who brings in the money that circulates from hand to hand. Without me, none of you would be where you are today. I think that it's time for me to take what rightfully should be mine."

Doug swallowed nervously as he dealt out the cards. Jeff immediately shouted out with joy when he took a look at his cards. Everyone seated at the table, except Zack, leaned over to see what Jeff had. "Four sevens." Jeff declared, laying down the cards on the table in front of him. For the moment, everything looked like it would be ok, but Zach had yet to even look at his cards.

In one swift motion, Zach flipped his cards up for everyone to see. He had Jeff beat. "No, it isn't possible!" Jeff cried out.

"Looks like I now own the Supermarket." Zack's smile embodied evil. He reached across the table, pulling in his winnings.

Jeff could only watch on, totally shocked beyond belief. In only a few minutes he had lost everything. What would Sasha and Karen say when he told them that they had to leave their house behind? That was something that he couldn't handle. Jeff began walking away from the table, each step seemed like it took every ounce of energy that he had left to complete. "Jeff, are you going to be alright?" Barley asked, rising up after the former owner of the supermarket.

"What makes you think that I would be alright?" Jeff snapped back, his voice shrill. "I just failed my family…" His hands had fallen to his sides, clenched tightly into fists. Nobody could have foresaw what came next. Jeff silently pulled a handgun out of his pocket, his trembling hand pointing the weapon at Zack.

Zack, meanwhile, was completely oblivious to what was going on. He was too busy admiring the property deed in his hands. He didn't even flinch when he heard the pistol fire, followed shortly by the collapse of Jeff's body. There was a mad rush as the occupants of the Inn rushed to Jeff's side. Zack got up out of his chair and calmly walked towards the door. "How can you be so cold? Jeff just killed himself and you didn't even bat an eyelash. This is your fault!" Doug spat out.

The well built shipper gave the innkeeper the cold shoulder, walking right past the man and out the door. A chain of events had been set in motion. At any step along the line he could have stopped the chain from growing longer. But, if he had, would he be in the same position of power that he now found himself in? He had control of the supply for Mineral Town and now had control of the distribution.

In the dead silence of night, Zack's footsteps echoed along the path louder than the thud of his eager heart. A cry for help sounded from behind him, awakening the village to the tragedy that had just befallen them. Zack had one family consisting of a widow and a fatherless daughter that he would like to deliver the message to personally. Never once did he stop to ponder what torment that he would be causing to poor Sasha and Karen.

His forceful knock was greeted with a stern shout from within. "We're closed! Come back on Monday, we'll be open then." Zack continue to knock, each blow more determined than the last. It wasn't long until Sasha came storming to the front door, ready to give Zack a piece of her mind. She fell oddly silent when he held up the deed before her eyes. "Out," He commanded, jerking his thumb in the direction of the door as he welcomed himself to his new abode.

"How did you get that? It belongs to my husband!" Sasha demanded as Zack examined a loaf of bread. Karen's body blocked the door between the store and the living area. Zack stepped up in front of her, looking her over like she was a piece of merchandise. "If you're nice, Karen, maybe I'll let you stay instead of kicking you out onto the streets with your mother."

"When my father gets home…" Karen was about to retort, but Zack placed a finger over Karen's lips before she could continue any further. "Your father…" Zack paused as he looked back at Sasha, "won't be coming home ever again. He shot himself just five minutes ago at the Inn."

Zack smiled wickedly as he watched Sasha bring a hand up to her heart. The shock of the news had just broken her heart. The rest of the body would break soon enough. "Mom!" Karen cried out as Sasha collapsed against the wall. As the young lady tried to rush to her mother's side, Zack grabbed hold of her arm, violently pulling her towards him. "What about my offer?" Zack questioned, gazing longingly into Karen's tear filled eyes.

Karen struggled to get out of Zack's grasp, but he was too strong for her. She could do nothing but watch as her mother's arm fell to her side, motionless. "No…" Karen whispered, finally breaking free from Zack's grip as she dropped to her knees. Her body shook violently as she burst into uncontrollable sobs. Zack watched on, feeling quite pleased with himself even though he should have been sickened with his actions.

(-)

_A/N: Well, Zack certainly has become a jerk and he's only going to get worse as we go further into the story. Later chapters will become longer, so don't worry if you found this too short. Thanks for reading and please review._


	2. Savior

Corruption

Chapter 2: Savior

_A/N: I am actually quite surprised at the positive feedback from everyone. Honestly, I was expecting a few people to be a little angry at me (for any number of reasons). At this moment, I should clarify the genres that this fic falls into. As you have found out, this is a heavy drama piece, but it also focuses on the pain and suffering of Karen and Jack. Now, for the hidden third genre… It's actually a romance to top everything off. That part becomes more evident as we progress, but as you can expect, romance is the last thing on Karen's mind._

(-)

All of Mineral Town had fallen into shambles since the fallout of that tragic winter eve. As soon as he had taken over the Supermarket, Zach raised the prices of everything tenfold, while still paying regular market prices for products shipped elsewhere. Many of the small businesses struggled to increase their production to match the outrages demands set upon them, but failed. The Winery, Siabera's blacksmithing shop, and even Doug's inn had crumbled beneath the strain. The Clinic was on the verge of closing its doors, while the Poultry Farm and Yodel Ranch were just making ends meet.

Mayor Thomas had been helpless in the face of the problem facing his town. Zach had swept in, taking the power right out of Thomas' hands just with the use of money. The new tycoon in charge ruthlessly stepped in, offering to purchase the businesses that made these people unique for next to nothing. Then, he forced the former owners to work hard making money for him. Now that he owned the infrastructure of Mineral Town he was able to do whatever his heart desired and could get away with it.

As for Karen, she had sworn revenge against Zach, refusing to give in to him in any way. He told her that he was in the market for a wife and he was giving her the first opportunity. Karen had slapped him across the face, which resulted in the burly man back-handing her with his muscular forearm.

Ever since then, Karen had been wandering the streets, hoping that one of the kind souls would take her in. Everyone would have done so quickly, but the addition of another mouth to feed meant needing to make more money, which was hard enough already. Even Rick, the young man that she had come to fall in love with had turned her away. Heartbroken and homeless, Karen was often seen sitting in the center of the town square, covered in the ever falling snow as she shamelessly wept.

The fact that Karen had denied Zach once before wasn't enough to stop the shipper from desiring the feisty maiden. If anything, his lust for her had grown stronger, almost reaching the point where he would satisfy his hunger by any means necessary. But first, he wanted to make Karen realize the mistake that she had made and understand that her suffering could have been avoided.

Winter was nearing a close and along with the promise of warmer weather, a new hope for Mineral Town was rumored to be arriving. According to an unconfirmed rumor, the heir to the abandoned Hart farm would be arriving in early fall to continue the legacy left behind by his recently deceased grandfather. Everyone knew that a farm would be a great source of income, not only for the farmer, but the other businesses in town as well. In order for a farm to run smoothly and successfully, a farmer needed the help of the Poultry Farm, Yodel Ranch, Siabera, Gotz, and many more.

Zack knew that this new farmer would pose a threat to his control over Mineral Town. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands. When the new farmer, who was named Jack, arrived on the first of spring, Zack was there waiting for the young man. Zach quickly led Jack away from the destitute villagers and their gossip, taking Jack to his new home. "This is your grandfather's farm!" Zack announced proudly with a sly smirk hidden from Jack's sight.

Before the pair was a tiny wooden shack and a large field overrun with weeds. That was all that there was, but judging from the large patches of dirt, some other buildings had stood tall on this land not very long ago. Jack looked over at the town ruler with a suspicious looking glare.

The glare intensified when Zack proceeded to show Jack the interior of the wooden shack. The only "furniture" consisted of two crates and a rather ratty looking blanket. There were no decorations, no help books, and most importantly no tools. "Well, good luck!" Zack wished, quickly backing out the door and leaving Jack in a rather difficult starting position.

By the time that spring was halfway over, it was painfully obvious that any hope for an improvement was history. Zack was being extremely picky with what could be sold and what couldn't fetch a few gold pieces. Apparently, bamboo had gone off the market along with wild grass. Somehow, Jack managed to scrap together enough cash to buy a bag of turnip seeds for twelve hundred gold. The farmer managed to keep his crops watered by cupping handfuls of water and running it back and forth between the river and the field. But, the day before the turnips were supposed to be read for harvest, a mystery culprit dug up the plants. Everyone in town had a fairly good idea of who the crook was, but nothing was said out loud.

Remember how Zack wanted to make Karen suffer? The rightful heir to the Supermarket had been reduced to trying to sell flowers to other villagers. While she did receive apologetic smiles, nobody would buy any of her flowers. That was when Zack would make his move. He had grown out of the stage of looking for a wife, but still wanted something from Karen and the other girls of Mineral Town. In due time, he would get them, but for now, Karen was his object of desire.

It was a dark and dreary Sunday, like most of the days in Mineral Town. The fact that it was raining heavily just made the day worse. Karen stood underneath the pale glow of a dying streetlamp, a basket of wilted flowers hanging limply from her arm. She made no effort to approach any of the people walking through the square on their way to church. Why would today be any different from the other days?

"May I buy something?" A voice whispered into her ear. Not knowing for sure who it was, Karen turned to face the costumer. The sinister smile on Zach's face told Karen that she was in deep trouble. Her mind told her to run, but her legs had frozen in place. The only thing that came to mind was to hand Zack a flower.

Oddly enough, Zack snatched the wilting pink flower in his gloved hand and stared at the fragile plant with great interest. Why was he wearing gloves? Karen could only wonder as Zach began gently stroking the stem of the flower. He paused momentarily and looked up at Karen, his smile now dripping with lecherous intentions. Zack let the flower slip out of his hand as he took a step towards Karen.

A chill ran down Karen's back as the gloved fingers of Zach's right hand ran through her matted hair. Zach leaned over her shoulder, breathing eerily in her ear, "I can help you… but only if you help me…"

"I don't think so!" Karen found the nerve to push away from Zack, but he quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back in. "I wasn't asking a question," Zack stated coldly as he placed his other gloved hand over Karen's mouth. Karen tried to scream, but her cries for help were being muffled by Zack's large palm. It was then that Zack forcibly pulled her towards the staircase leading towards the beach. He wanted to take her to his private house down by the ocean.

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Someone called out. Karen couldn't recognize the voice, but she was grateful towards whoever it was. Zack released his hold on Karen, letting the girl drop to the ground. She was so happy that she was able to breathe again that she didn't even see her rescuer land a solid punch across Zack's jaw.

Zack was staggering backwards, clearly shaken by the blow. "You're going to regret messing with me Jack. I'll see to it that your farm never is successful." With that, Zack made a quick exit.

So, it had been Jack that had saved her… Karen was about to push herself up off the ground when she noticed the flower that Zack had cast aside laying just a few inches away from her face. Karen gently reached out, taking hold of the stem with two delicate fingers. She could feel Jack place his hands on her sides and carefully help her back up to her feet. Karen turned to face her savior, holding the beaten pink flower ahead of her. Jack accepted the flower, but seemed rather confused as to the meaning of the gift. He could only stare at the decaying plant in his hands. By the time he looked up again to thank Karen, she was gone.

(-)

_A/N: Ok. Zack: eviler. Check. Karen: still standing proud, yet scared. Check. Jack: not knowing what's going on. Normal… I mean… Check. I think that I'm getting into some deep meaning with this… Meh, it's entertaining and compelling. I think that I'll keep the chapters this length. It makes for more drama packed sets. I'm sorta cruel, huh? Till next time!_


	3. Second Attempt

Corruption

Chapter 3: Second Attempt

_A/N: Sorry about the wait on this chapter. I had a ton of assignments due for the end of next week and I wanted to get them done and out of the way beforehand. Thanks for your continued support; I'm doing my best to come up with quality entertainment for you guys. Also, it's good to see that people are starting to see Zack in an entirely new way and are scared of him. Trust me, if you hated him before this chapter… Well, before I give away anything let's begin!_

(-)

Jack was hardly recognizable anymore. He had lost a ton of weight and his skin had grown pale from malnourishment. Surviving only on a meager diet of bamboo shoots, Jack was struggling to continue his work. His fingers were horribly cut up from having to clear his entire field by hand. But, it was a pointless plight. No matter how hard he worked, he would never be able to succeed. Zack made sure of that.

Everyday since that day when he had saved Karen from Zack, Jack had returned to the town square. He hoped to have the chance to see that mysterious unknown girl again. All he had as a reminder of her was the wilting pink flower that he kept in his rucksack. A week had come and gone without sight of her, but still he made a point of waiting for her. Odds be damned, he wanted to see her once more, if only for a mere moment.

As a matter of fact, nobody had seen Karen since the incident. It was almost as if she had simply vanished into thin air. Either that or Zack had gotten his way with her. That second option was extremely unlikely because the tyrant seemed just as unpleasant as ever.

Hour after hour passed by, but Jack stayed firm in his vigilance. If he didn't have to try and get his farm working again, he would have stayed there forever. As it was, Jack had to give up once again. Nine days he had waited for her and still nothing. With a tired, lonesome sigh, Jack made his way back home.

If only he had taken a look back over his shoulder, then he might have seen Karen stumble into the town square. She was even worse off than Jack was. Her stomach yearned for anything edible, but all that she was able to scrounge together was tiny nuts from deep within the forest. That was where she had been hiding from Zack. The only reason why she dared to venture back into town was to beg for food.

A pain filled tear rolled down her cheek as she collapsed to her knees. "Help me!" She cried out, trying to hold back the flood of tears that were ready to burst forth thru the dam. Someone had heard her plea and was approaching her. Karen couldn't even lift her head to see who it was that stood over her, but if she could see, she would have let the tears run loose.

Zach reached down, placing a hand underneath of Karen's chin. "Have you come crawling back to me?" His voice was uncaring, carrying a pleased undertone that just sickened Karen.

"Go to hell!" Karen whispered rebelliously.

Zach shook his head, removing his hand from under her chin. In a sudden, swift movement Zack kicked out violently. Karen cried out in a mixture of pain and surprise, clutching her side where Zack's foot had struck. She struggled to reclaim her breath, gasping franticly for air. Zack smiled grew wider as he watched Karen writhe in pain at his feet. "You know what I want."

Karen tilted her head up to look at Zack. Every part of her wished hatred towards the man who had ruined her entire life. It was Zack's fault that her parents were dead, his fault that she was like this. "No way," she snarled as she valiantly managed to get up to her knees.

Once again Zack struck out, this time angrily backhanding Karen across the face. A small trickle of blood had formed at the base of her nose, dripping steadily onto the back of her hand. She looked down at the blood which was slowly mixing with the tears that had forced themselves out of her eyes. Zack kicked Karen a second time adding, "I can give you anything and everything you ever wanted. All you need to do is a little something for me."

"I'm not touching your 'little something' if that's what you like to call it. Steroids have that effect on you." Karen's remark was rewarded with another swift kick from Zack. Judging from the sharp pain in her side, something had been severely damaged on the inside. She was going to need to see the doctor after this, if Zack ever left her alone. The chances of that happening were very slim. Her only hope was that someone would come and save her again.

As if answering her cry, a new figure entered the town square. Karen just caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye. "Rick! Help me!" Another kick came from Zack as Rick came closer. Rick looked directly into Karen's eyes as he walked past the scene. The thought of going and saving his old girlfriend didn't even cross his mind. "Rick!" Karen sobbed out, no longer caring about looking strong.

"See? Nobody in this village cares about you anymore. You're just a poor little orphan wretch. I can change that for you." Zack reached into his pocket, producing a large bag of coins and tossing the pouch before Karen. "That can be yours if you behave yourself and accept my offer."

Karen looked at the pouch, tempted to reach out and accept the bribe. She was tired of the propositions and the money would be able to feed her for a long time. No! What was she thinking, even momentarily considering the offer? Karen spat in the direction of the money pouch, which awarded her with another violent kick, this one to her ribs.

"Is my generosity too good for you?" Zack demanded, taking back the money that he had offered. "You know that I'm going to get my way no matter what. Why don't you just give in before I decide to quit playing nice?"

Karen had rolled up on to her non-injured side, trying to alleviate the pain building inside of her. "Because my mother taught me not to let men take advantage of me."

Zack was having trouble maintaining his already volatile demeanor. He was just about to give up on his attempts to persuade Karen to go along with him by her own decision. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of something else that he could try. A smile suddenly crept across his face as he thought of something. "You know… the inn has some great food. Probably the best in all of Mineral Town."

"So?" Karen shot back. The mention of food had done the trick though. Her mouth began to water as she remembered the taste of Doug's great cooking. Zack noticed the change in Karen and followed up with his plan, "How about I treat you to dinner? Anything that you want. My treat."

That was low. Offer a starving girl one single meal just in order to take advantage of her. But, that was the position of power that Zack was in and nothing was too low for the man. He had already caused enough moral bankruptcy in Mineral Town to mark him as a hated man for the remainder of his life. Nobody that caught wind of his doings would be able to look him in the eye without punching him beforehand.

Karen was hating Zack with an even greater passion than she had moments ago. How could she pass up the offer? She was already weak and starving. Any longer like this and she could die. Would her life be worth living if she had given up on her values, selling herself out to a man that she despised? It was a tough choice, but survival won out, "Ok…"

Zack looked down upon Karen, lecherously tantalizing over the thoughts about what he would soon be doing to her. He leaned down, grabbing Karen in a very inappropriate manner, hauling her up to her feet. Karen didn't even fight back, a clear sign that he had broken her. "Come, my dear." Zack started off towards the inn, pulling Karen after him. Karen remained silent, wishing that she would just die.

(-)

_A/N: No! Damn it Zack! How could you? Here marks one of the lower points of the story. Things may improve from this point on or they could just continue to grow worse. But, honestly, how can they get any worse for poor Karen? Hope nobody wants to kill me for what I've done, but feel free to be angry. Thanks for reading, see you next time!_


	4. Fallout

Corruption

Chapter 4: Fallout

_A/N: I'm going to leave what happened after the last chapter unsaid. I don't want to include anything that deserves an M rating and this fic will get pretty close as it is. But, I think that everyone knows pretty much what happened. I'll just fast forward ahead a little bit and continue from there._

(-)

Karen found herself wandering aimlessly through the streets of Mineral Town. In her hand was a nearly empty bottle of some dark brown liquid. Tears of anger and denial racked her body as she stumbled underneath the dimming streetlights. The sun was coming up off in the distance, starting yet another day in which Karen wished she was dead.

The previous night was still vividly replaying itself in her mind, despite her efforts to suppress the memory. It was just another part of the horrible sequence of events that had turned her carefree life into a living hell. Karen took a swig from the bottle. She held the bottle out, staring at her painkiller of choice. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, Karen smashed the bottle against the nearest lamppost, causing a shower of tiny glass shards.

Karen fell to her knees, letting her emotions take full control of her body. "I… I can't live… like this anymore!" She screamed out, scaring away a pair of birds perched atop the lamp. Karen looked up at the quickly disappearing birds, watching a single feather slowly drop down towards earth. The feather gently came to a rest sitting atop a large shard from the broken bottle. Karen's fingers twitched as she gingerly reached out, brushing the feather aside. It was the glass shard that had her interested.

A strange force seemed to cause Karen to become fascinated with the shard as it rested in her palm, glimmering from the rays of the rising sun. That fascination took a dangerous overtone as Karen's eyes followed a beam of light reflecting off of the glass onto the wrist of her opposite arm. She hesitated slightly, feeling the cold touch of the shard as she pressed it up against her skin. Then, with a violent sweep, Karen drew the glass piece across her wrist. She smiled, watching as red trickles of blood snaked along her arm eventually dripping to the ground at her elbow. Karen's head rolled back as she pressed her back up against the lamp post. _Mom, Dad, I'm coming to see you…_

Jack was having a terrible nightmare. Everything was dark, but there were voices everywhere. "Help us!" They cried. No matter where he went, the voices kept calling for his help. "But what can I do?" He had asked the spirits haunting his dream. The cries for help were growing louder and more urgent, ignoring his question.

He began to run, covering his ears from the overbearing demands, but the voices had invaded his mind. _You're the only one who can help us! _Jack shook his head, trying to remove the disturbing wails that followed him. "Just tell me what you want!"

Suddenly, everything was silent. The voices had stopped and the only sound was the echo of Jack's footsteps. Up ahead, there was a circle of light, cast by an invisible spotlight from some unseen perch. The light was not what was important though. In the center of the circle was the wilting flower. The light began to dim as Jack reached out towards the flower. Just as he would have grabbed the flower, the light died completely accompanied with a somber voice, "She needs you."

Jack jolted upright, drenched in a cold sweat. "Just relax, Jack. It was only a dream," he told himself as he got up to his feet. But, if it was just a dream, why did he feel like there was something amiss? He instinctually reached over to a nearby crate, where the dying flower rested atop of. As he enclosed his fingers around the stem of the decaying plant, the entire flower just seemed to crumble apart.

Somewhere, deep inside of Jack, he knew that there was something wrong. Jack was already outside, running into town. Almost instantly, Jack knew what he had drawn him outside. The girl that had given him the flower was lying on the ground, a small pool of blood forming underneath of her. Jack was at her side in an instant, noting that she was barely conscious. Seeing the laceration across her wrist and the broken glass everywhere, Jack had a good idea of what happened. He had already untied the bandanna from around his neck, using it as a temporary bandage.

"Daddy?" The girl asked groggily as Jack hoisted her off the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not daring to let go. Jack unconsciously blushed a bit as he began running deeper into town, heading for the Clinic.

Jack reached the Clinic, desperately trying to push open the door, only to find it locked. With both hands full, Jack stared kicking the door shouting, "Open up! I've got an emergency here!"

"What seems to be the problem?" Somebody asked from nearby.

"I found this girl on the sidewalk and she's hurt pretty badly. She needs a doctor." Jack replied, still kicking at the door. He hadn't even looked over his shoulder to see who it was, but he was soon going to wish that he had.

A large hairy hand was placed on the door in front of Jack. "I'm afraid that the Clinic is closed on Wednesdays."

Jack now recognized the voice. Jack turned to face the greedy tycoon of Mineral Town, who had a removed look on his face. "Zack! Don't do this to spite me. Open this door for her."

Zack looked down at Karen's limp form in Jack's arms. He noticed the makeshift bandana wrapped around her left wrist and the red stains all along her arm and chest. "What did you do to this poor girl?" Zack accused, suddenly looking very appalled.

A crowd of other early morning risers had gathered around the Clinic, drawn by the loud shouting. Jack looked around at the spectators, who all shared the same expression as Zack. "No, I didn't do anything! I just found her like this! Please, help her!"

"Looks like we caught you in the act." Zack snarled, poking Jack roughly in the chest. "We all know that Karen's down on her luck. I cannot believe that you took advantage of her in the state that she's in right now. You probably raped her and cut her wrist so that it looked like she tried to kill herself, just to keep her silent."

Jack was taken aback by the accusation. "I would never think of doing something like that! Come on, does anyone believe what this man is accusing me of?" Jack looked around at the gathered spectators for support, but nobody stepped forward. They were all afraid of opposing Zack, even though they knew full well that he was probably the cause of this scene.

"Stay at your farm and don't you dare step foot into Mineral Town. Take that little slut of yours with you too. She's caused just as many problems as you have. Nobody wants you two here." There was obvious disagreement from the other townspeople, but they chose to remain silent. Zack was basically banishing Jack and Karen from the town, just to get rid of any opposition to his rule.

Jack straightened his back, taking a few steps towards Zack. The two glared angrily at each other until Jack stormed off down a path away from the scene. "Good riddance, I say. We don't want trash like that in my town," Zack commented, just loud enough for Jack to overhear.

Sure enough, the farmer stopped, and turned around slowly. A sly smile had appeared on his face. "Then it won't be long until the trash collectors come to get you, Zack. I'll be back."

(-)

_A/N: I can't wait until Jack steps up and kicks the crap out of Zack. It'll happen, I promise. Not sure when the next update will be, since I'm heading home this weekend. I'm hoping for Monday, if I can get away from visitors long enough._


	5. Tender Interlude

Chapter 5: Tender Interlude

_A/N: Wow… I never expected to be this busy for the holidays. Friends and family are understandably super happy to see me. Well, during one conversation with some friends, we came up with some great ideas for stories. So, after I finish this current set of fanfiction, I will be taking a permanent leave in order to try and finish an actual novel. Wow, imagine me, Tint, as a professional writer... This'll be fun.  
Also, I apologize for the horrendous wait period between this chapter and the one prior. I got caught during some bad times and ff wouldn't work for me. Then there was yesterday's major overhaul. Sorry, it won't happen again._

(-)

Reality was slowly beginning to become clearer for Karen. All she could remember recently was a blurred vision of a white tunnel. Now she could make out her surroundings, but could not figure out where she was. She was propped up against a tiny wooden crate, which was one of the few pieces of furniture in the spartanly decorated room. As her vision cleared, she realized that the single room was actually the entire house and there was someone else with her, seated right beside her. Karen immediately recoiled away from the stranger, thinking that it was Zack.

"I see that you're awake." The young man said with a smile as he opened up his hands to Karen. Even though he was trying to show her that he meant her no harm, Karen perceived the action as if the young man was about to strike her. Jack paused to look at his hands, wondering what he had done to frighten the poor girl that he had come to idolize as his untouchable dream lady.

Karen was trembling uncontrollably, desperately attempting to avoid looking Jack directly in the eyes. The only thing that she could focus on was the red handkerchief that was wrapped around her wrist. She gingerly lifted the edge of the fabric, taking a peek underneath. "Wh…. what happened?" Karen stammered, her voice was barely above a whisper.

Jack only made a quick glance over to the jagged red line that Karen had her eyes glued to. "I think that you did that to yourself…"

"Really?" Karen continued to stare at the self inflicted wound. She could only wonder as to what had driven her to such a miserable state that she would consider taking her own life. Everything from the past few days was nothing more than a blur to her. But, she could remember that something had happened between her and Zack and she wanted to lose that memory. Karen looked up at Jack's friendly face, wondering who this stranger was, even though there was a slight feeling of recognition building. "Who are you?"

"My name's Jack. We met once before, but it was only for a moment. I had saved you from Zack and you gave me this flower." Jack reached into his rucksack and removed the deceased flower.

Karen carefully reached out, touching the flower's petals lightly. _Yes, I remember him… _"I never got a chance to thank you for that," Karen admitted shyly.

Jack merely shrugged his shoulders, "It was nothing. You were in trouble and I only did what any decent person would do."

"But, weren't you afraid of what Zack could do to you?"

"Not really," Jack replied callously, "He can go ahead and try to run me into the ground. He'll never break my spirit."

Karen suddenly felt ashamed to be in the presence of Jack. Here was a man who had stood up against Zack, just as she had tried to do. But, unlike her, Jack had stood strong under the oppression of Zack. "What's wrong?" Jack asked, seeing that Karen was trying to shimmy away from him.

"I don't deserve to be alive." Karen spat out.

"Look, I don't want to sound like an overly religious person, but everyone deserves to live. There's always a purpose for everybody and that purpose changes over time. Sure, you may not know what that purpose is at this moment, but that's no reason just to give up on life. It is things like this that make us stronger."

"It's easy for you to say that. You haven't had someone you care deeply for die." Surprisingly, the remark seemed to have an effect on Jack. The young farmer got up to his feet and walked over to the only window of the small hut. He stood there, looking out the window with a far away look on his face. "Sorry… I must have said something wrong…" Karen stammered out the apology.

Jack shook his head, "No, not really. You just reminded me of why I came to Mineral Town." Karen could tell from the dreary sigh that Jack let out that something was indeed wrong. She pushed herself up off the floor, grimacing slightly from a jolt of pain in her wrist, and carefully sidled up beside Jack. Jack looked over at her, a watery line running down his cheek where a fresh tear had recently been shed. "My grandfather passed away recently. He was the one who used to own this farm before I inherited it from him."

Karen's uninjured hand was slowly beginning to snake up Jack's side, eventually coming to a rest on his shoulder. The farmer turned to face Karen, his own hands finding themselves resting on Karen's waist. There was a momentary pause as Jack looked down into Karen's eyes, that feeling of love at first sight returning to the young farmer's heart. Jack leaned forward, his lips hovering barely above Karen's, their quickly warming breath mixing together.

But Karen pulled out of Jack's grasp. "I'm sorry Jack, but I can't. It just makes me feel wrong. It's not your fault or anything, it's me."

"Don't apologize." Jack had retreated to one of the crates, where he sat with his head in his hands. "I shouldn't have done that. All I am is just a stranger who saved your life. I don't even know your name and I'm trying stuff like that."

"Karen."

"What?"

"My name is Karen." Karen explained.

Jack looked up to see the girl standing right in front of him. She was still beautiful, even with her perfect skin marred with the recent bruises and scars that lined her face. "Who did that to you?" Jack asked, looking directly at a purple patch right beneath her right eye.

Karen hesitantly reached up to touch the bruise that Zack had given her the previous night. She had no choice but to give in to the horrid man and suffer his abuse. "It was Zack." The mention of his name, even from her own lips, filled her with enough shame to bring back the desire to end her life.

Jack got back up to his feet and stormed over to the door. He paused in the open doorway and turned back to Karen. "You can stay here as long as you want, I don't care. Someone in this town has to do something about Zack and that someone is me."

(-)

_A/N: Yay! Fight!_


	6. A Kiss

Corruption

Chapter 6: A Kiss…

_A/N: Sorry, I'm getting too distracted with other stories. But, to make you feel better, Tint starts out as a farmer in one of them and there's even a love scene involving Mage in the first chapter. But I shouldn't advertise. Must focus on this fic and get a chapter done. Will try for weekly update, if not better. Don't worry; I won't be getting stingy with plot or length for the sake of speed._

(-)

Jack was a man on a mission. The determined glare in his eyes was glazed over with a layer of fiery hatred. Each step that he took along the cobblestone streets of Mineral Town thundered deeply beneath him, almost like the earth was ready to crack apart from the force of his footsteps. The farmer arrived at the Supermarket, not even hesitating for a second as he flung open the door, stormed up to the counter and looked Zack straight in the eye. "Let's settle this." He barked out.

Zack looked genuinely surprised, but not as much as the pink haired girl seated in his lap. Popuri quickly squirreled her way out of Zack's groping hands and started inching towards the door. "I should leave you two alone…" She whispered as she placed her hand on the open doorway.

"No, stay Popuri. I want to show you what happens to people who disobey me." Zack calmly got out of his chair and emerged from behind the counter. The shipper towered above the farmer, but Jack did not back away one step from Zack. Zack chuckled slightly at the courage of the farmer. Just as quickly as the hint of amusement had surfaced, Zack suddenly brought took a backhanded swing at Jack.

The blow violently snapped Jack's face sideways, but the farmer didn't seem to even notice the vicious sting of the attack. He returned his steely gaze back to Zack, refusing to even bat an eyelash in the face of the monstrous tank of a man.

Zack grunted in disgust, striking Jack with another backhand across the face. This one sent Jack down to a knee, but he quickly popped back up. There was a large red mark forming on the right side of Jack's face, but the farmer didn't care. "Is that the best you've got?"

Instead of backhanding Jack for a third time, the shipper delivered a fierce punch to Jack's gut. The force of the blow even managed to lift Jack off the ground a few inches before he crashed down against the counter. Popuri uttered a frightened cry when she saw Jack spit out a mouthful of blood. Still the farmer rose back up to his feet, determined not to let Zack keep him down. Without removing his eyes from Zack's, Jack reached up to his chin, wiping away the trickle of blood that was there. He brought the hand up between him and Zack, eying the blood with a strange curiosity. Then, he flicked his own blood directly into Zack's eyes.

Zack let out a string of curses as he brought his hands up to his eyes. It was Jack's turn to smile as he watched Zack writhe in agony. "What's the matter? Does the blood sting? I stood up from three of your hardest punches and you are crying about a few drops of blood? You aren't a man, you're not even human. You're a cockroach, scum, the vermin of the entire planet. That's what you are Zack."

Fueled by a new level of rage, Zack struck out at Jack. This time though, his aim was off. Jack swiftly ducked to the side, grabbing the shipper's arm and twisting in violently behind his back. Zack attempted to power his way out of the hold, which led Jack to yank on the arm roughly. Zack uttered another string of curses, these ones too foul for even the devil. Jack had a satisfied smile on his face as he gently forced Zack's knees to buckle on him by pushing forward with his foot against the joint of the knee. The large shipper had been taken down to his knees by a puny little farm boy.

"What do you want?" Zack demanded through gritted teeth.

"Finally, we're getting somewhere." Jack tugged the arm up a few further degrees, knowing that the pain must be almost unbearable for the shipper. To make matters even worse, there was a girl there watching this entire thing go down. Jack knew that Zack's position with the ladies was one of the most important things to him, so this embarrassment must be really damaging his pride. "I want you to return the businesses back to their owners, including this shop."

"Never!" Jack shook his head in mock regret. He had been hoping that Zack would say that. He transferred hold of Zack's arm to his own right hand and snatched the shipper's free arm with his left. Jack then proceeded to place his boot against Zack's back, adding leverage to his painful hold. Zack screamed out in agony, "Alright!"

"Better. No bullying them either. That means paying them and me full price for our products. Do you understand or do I have to pull back harder?"

"I understand! Please let me go!"

"Is that begging that I hear from the mighty Zack?" Jack was rubbing Zack's defeat in his face.

Zack turned his head so that he could glare at Jack. "Go f…" Zack could even get close to finishing his lewd suggestion before Jack violently pulled Zack's arms back. A resounding pair of cracks sounded from Zack's shoulders, signaling that Jack had finished what he had come to do. The farmer casually released Zack's arms, leaving the shipper on the floor yelling out profanities directed at him.

Jack proudly exited the Supermarket, his head held high in the air. He was going to go straight back to his farm and tell Karen that she could go to the Supermarket again. It belonged to her now, like it always should have. At least, that was Jack's plan. A soft, delicate voice called out to him, "Wait!"

The farmer turned around to see Popuri nervously approaching him. She was looking down at her feet, not wanting to make eye contact with Jack. "Yes?" Jack asked peacefully, hoping not to frighten the girl. She seemed scared, shaking mildly as she neared Jack.

"I… I just want to thank you. I'm lucky that you showed up when you did. If you didn't… I don't want to think about what happened." Popuri lifted her head up to look at Jack. Her eyes were brimming with tears. Suddenly, she tossed herself at Jack, wrapping her arms around his neck and smothering her face into his chest. "I had just gone into the store to buy some flour so that I could bake a cake for my sick mother. That was when he grabbed me. He said that I didn't have to pay for the flour if I… I told him no, but that wouldn't stop him. He started to grab me inappropriately and… Well, thank you."

Jack was somewhat embarrassed to have Popuri hanging off of him like this. Sure, she was an attractive girl and all, but his heart belonged to Karen, even if he couldn't be sure if she felt the same way about him. "Popuri, there's no need to thank me." He told her.

Popuri wouldn't have any of Jack's honesty. She clung tighter around the farmer's neck. Her head was now resting on his shoulder, letting her whisper, "But there is," into his ear. Jack could feel his face turning red with embarrassment. Why was he getting so perturbed by having a girl's warm breath brushing against his neck like this?

Jack tried to unwrap Popuri's arms from around his neck, but that only caused her to tighten her grip. Suddenly, Jack found Popuri pressing her lips against his in a passionate kiss. Jack was so surprised by the unsuspected action that he was frozen for a few seconds before he finally realized what was happening. Finally, Jack managed to push Popuri away, gently but forcefully. "I'm sorry Popuri. Don' take it the wrong…"

"How could you!"

Jack cringed at the sound of the very angry yell coming from behind him. He quickly turned around to face a fuming Karen, trying to stammer out the correct apology. "I… It was… I just..."

"Just shut up!" Karen shouted. "You're no worse than Zack is! You were hoping to get something out of me by being a hero and when that didn't work out; you just went to the next desperate girl! Both of you are perverts! Lecherous scumbags!" Each word stung like a killer wasp, forcing Jack to flinch under the barrage of insults. As soon as she was finished screaming at Jack, Karen turned and stormed away towards the beach.

"Karen, wait!" Jack pleaded as he took off after Karen.

Poor, confused Popuri was left standing in the middle of the street, a completely blank look on her face. Slowly, the shocked expression turned into a smile. That smile was sinister, dark, and evil. Zack would be pleased to learn of her success.

(-)

_A/N: And things were looking so good! Why'd that have to go and happen? Answer: cause it's dramatic… I shouldn't, but I did. I ain't done messing with poor Jack and Karen yet. There is still much more that I can do! Muahahahaha! Yes, now that I think about it, I really do put my characters through too much torment. Maybe I should make fluffy happy fic? Nah…_


	7. Badum Blush

Corruption

Chapter 7: Badum… Blush

_A/N: I myself have become corrupted. I recently started playing World of Warcraft and have become addicted. At least it isn't as bad as of a drug compared to Harvest Moon. I still wake up in the middle of the night and turn on Back to Nature for a few hours. As for Popuri's little act, there wasn't much of a choice but to use her. In my mind, the only girls who would do something like that would be Karen and Popuri and Karen's kinda disposed at the moment. Maybe Elli would have done it too, but you know how I feel about Elli. So Popuri it is!_

(-)

Mineral Town was up and running again, just one week after Zack made a surprise announcement that he was quitting his job, leaving Mineral Town forever. Almost immediately after Zack's departure, there was a sudden boom in the economic cycle for the citizens of Mineral Town. The sudden return of cash had brought the suffering businesses out of the slump that Zack had put them in and were now more successful than ever. Oddly enough, their own individual success wasn't what made the town's people happiest. The Supermarket was back under the ownership of Karen, a duty that should have been rightfully hers since the night of those tragic incidents.

Nobody was happier for Karen than Jack, the man who had been detrimental in removing Zack from office. Yet, if anyone asked him about the details, the young farmer seemed far-away, lost to some sad thought. It was almost as if he had lost something dear to him and he was remembering what had once been. But, in truth, Jack was wondering if it had ever meant to be, like if the attraction that he felt for Karen was nothing more than a fabrication of his own beaten mind.

Yet, Jack's subconscious drew him towards the Supermarket day in and day out. Everyday, he found himself taking one step closer to walking in that door and speaking with Karen, telling her exactly how he felt and everyday, he chickened out. Today, on the seventh day since things began to return to normal, Jack stopped himself from walking away. Karen was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he shouldn't let her get away without a fight.

"Welcome! How may I…" Karen's greeting trailed off as she locked eyes with Jack from across the store. Immediately, Karen tried to look away, hoping that Jack would get the sign that she wasn't comfortable with him around. Instead, Jack walked right up to the counter and waited for Karen to look at him once more. "Oh… Jack… what… what can I help you with?"

"Karen, I want to explain something to you. That kiss with Popuri… you know that…"

Jack couldn't even finish his explanation before Karen silenced him with an icy glare, "Look, Jack. What I know is that you were the only one who helped me when I was down and out…" Karen trailed off as she glanced down at the scar, "And I really do appreciate it. I do. But, let me get one thing straight. That doesn't mean that there was any sort of connection or romance or even a spark between us. Love doesn't work that way."

The young farmer seemed stunned by Karen's words as if a jolt of electricity had shot through his body, halting his heart for a second. "But… that kiss…"

"I pulled away before it ever happened because I knew it wasn't right. I was… a lot of different things, especially fragile… and you should know better than to trust the signs of a hurt girl. The signals are shot. You were a hero to me then… and still are… and you made me feel… safe. I'm sorry if you thought that there was something more behind my actions, but there wasn't."

If you could see Jack's heart at that exact moment, you would see the poor organ go through every metaphorical 'broken heart' phrase ever imagined. Jack meekly nodded in masked understanding. The poor lad simply couldn't comprehend what Karen had just said. Actually, a better way to say it was that Jack didn't want to believe any of it. But, there was still one tiny part of him, deep down, that refused to give up hope, "Does that mean that there will never be anything like that between us?"

The tiniest of playful smirks had flashed across Karen's face, but she quickly masked the spurred emotion with dull optimism. "Maybe some time, but not for a while. I don't want to deal with men right now."

If Jack was his normal, fun loving self, instead of being so depressed at the moment, he might have made a wiseass comment about implied lesbianism. Other than the fact that such a comment would have ruined all future chances that he had with Karen, it might have livened the mood slightly. The Supermarket was sure in need of some extra cheer at that moment with Jack and Karen locked in an awkward silence.

As if summoned by an invisible force, a new customer entered the store. "Good afternoon, Karen! I just need some things for my mom and then… Jack!" Upon hearing his name screamed out as if by a crazed fan, Jack turned to face the pink haired maiden. Suddenly, he found himself enveloped in a very, shall we say, 'Badum… blush' inducing embrace.

Seemingly unaware of the discomfort that she was causing Jack by her closeness, Popuri bedded her head against Jack's chest, breathing the words, "My hero." The farmer's face had reached a previously unrecorded shade of red, one that surely would need the attention of Doctor Tim. While he was at it, the good Doctor would be wise to remove the daggers that Karen shot at Popuri. Was jealousy the root of Karen's reaction? It was a shame that Jack's attention was directed downward at a surprisingly pleasant view.

"Duh… hello brea… Popuri." Jack stammered, unable to divert his eyes.

"Uhm… Isn't that a little risqué, Popuri?" Karen forced herself to ask, keeping the level of ire in her voice down to a minimum.

Popuri pulled herself away from Jack, a move which met with some resistance from the farmer. She looked down, examining herself for a few short seconds. "Nope, not at all. It's really warm out today and all of my white blouses are dirty, so I decided to wear only my black corset top. What do you think, Jack?" Popuri innocently struck a provocative pose for Jack, who responded with a dull thud as his jaw hit the floor.

Finally, Jack managed to pull himself together, long enough to ask, "Popuri, would you like to go out to dinner tonight with me?"

Both Popuri and Karen appeared completely shocked by Jack's question. Popuri was blushing now, her face a light rose color almost matching her hair. She absent mindedly fiddled with some stray pink strands draped over her shoulder, contemplating Jack's proposition. A smile crossed her face barely seconds after she begun thinking. "Sure thing, hero. Why don't you walk me home so that I can get ready? Oh, and Karen, Rick will come by to pick up our order later tonight."

Sure, add insult to injury. Now she was going to be forced into conversation with a man that she truly despised, while her mind was elsewhere, worried about Jack and the pink haired twit. Wait, why would she be worried? She had just finished telling Jack that she wasn't interested in him at the moment. Yet, what the hell was he thinking asking Popuri out, seconds after he had been rejected by Karen? All Popuri had done was flash some cleavage for Jack and he became nothing more than an obedient dog. "_Maybe if I tried… no, that's_ _not my style…_" By the time that Karen looked up from her thoughts, the newly formed couple had vanished from the store, leaving Karen all alone.

(-)

_A/N: Popuri lovers are going to despise me when this is all over… But, on a serious note, I should not be using Love Hina style romance in here. Wait… haven't I already said that this isn't romance? I'm confusing myself, but at least I'm writing something… different. Ok, so it's a dark angst driven drama with comedic romantic interludes? Yeah, that sounds right…_


	8. Fireworks

Corruption

Chapter 8: Fireworks

_A/N: Yay! 1000 hits! I can't tell who exactly helped me reach this milestone, but it happened around 6PM EST on Monday the 16th. Thanks everyone!_

(-)

"Now this is how things should have been since the beginning!" Jack commented as he scanned over his farm. Most of the buildings had been rebuilt or were just getting the finishing touches completed. The field was devoid of any weeds and had a few plots of crops nearly ready to be harvested. A young puppy and colt chased each other through the dirt, both coming as thank you gifts from Barley and May over at the ranch. The house had been furnished sing the stuff that Zack left behind in his beach front home. It was just like he remembered it from his visit here as a child.

A friendly pair of arms draped themselves around Jack's neck. "It looks great." Popuri whispered into his ear as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks to you." Jack reached behind him, wrapping his right arm around Popuri's waist. Their relationship had blossomed as the summer grew older. In truth, they had only been together for little over a week. Now it was nearly impossible to see one without the other one being close by.

"Oh stop, it was nothing." Popuri blushed as she fell into Jack's arms, "All I did was go around town telling people that you were the one who got rid of Zack for us. Everyone just wanted to repay you for what you did." The girl paused for a second as she reached into a tiny pouch attached to her waist. "This is for you."

Jack held out his hands to Popuri, who gently placed a tiny white egg in his hands. "It's a gift from my family." Popuri explained as she pulled Jack towards the nearly completed chicken coop. The building just needed to be painted and then it would be finished. Popuri pushed open the door and proceeded inside. "Put that egg over there, in the incubator. That's going to be your very first chicken on your way to starting a chicken empire!"

The young farmer couldn't help but to laugh at Popuri's enthusiasm. "If you insist, Popuri. A chicken empire I shall create."

"Good." Popuri watched as Jack placed the egg on the straw covered stand. "I've got to go help my mother make dinner for tonight. I'll see you later, for the fireworks, alright?"

Jack gave Popuri a quick hug goodbye, "Yeah sure, no problem. See you tonight milady."

(-)

Karen's footsteps echoed through the barren streets of Mineral Town as she made her way down towards the beach. She was going to see the fireworks by herself, although Rick had asked to accompany her on an almost hourly basis throughout the day. The nerve of Rick. Karen still hated her former boyfriend for ignoring her when she had cried out to him. He didn't even look at her as he had walked straight past her. Now, he expected her to forget all about that and continue as if nothing had ever happened. Not very likely, mister.

Yet, as she descended the stairs down to the sandy beach, Karen regretted being alone. All of the couples were there. Mary was pointing out constellations to Grey, Ann was trying to snuggle up against a very nervous Cliff, and Popuri and Jack were busy making out beneath an umbrella. "Slut," Karen muttered as she carefully stepped around the people on the beach, making her way to the dock.

There was nobody seated along the dock, nevertheless Karen walked all the way to the end before seating herself down on the wooden structure. She looked down into the dark water, staring at the reflection of the half moon sparkling across the surface. Suddenly, a bright blue flash and a resounding explosion forced her to look up. A second firework shot up, creating a red poof up sparks near the cloud of the first rocket. Soon the sky was aglow with dozens of colorful lights.

Just as Karen began to enjoy herself, someone placed their hand on her shoulder. Karen's mood instantly became angry, completely ruining the illusion of happiness that the fireworks had created. "Look Rick, I said no," Karen spat at out she turned to face the person behind her.

To her surprise, it wasn't Rick's face looking back at her. Instead, the face was tanned and rugged, adorned with a purple bandana. "Is this seat taken?" The young man asked politely, motioning towards the space on the dock beside Karen.

Karen looked down where the man was pointing. "No, it isn't Kai. Take a seat."

Kai quickly accepted the invitation, seating himself down next to Karen. "It's a perfect night for fireworks. Not a cloud in the sky."

Karen nodded in agreement, "It is a perfect night… almost."

"No, it's completely perfect." Kai smirked, "I get to watch the fireworks with the prettiest girl in the entire town."

"Oh Kai," Karen laughed as she playfully shoved Kai. "I know that you don't mean that. You've told that to every girl that you've ever met."

"True," Kai shrugged his shoulders as he laid back onto the dock. A green flicker of light flashed across his face as his eyes darted over to the shore. "I'm surprised that you aren't out here with Rick."

"You haven't heard about the little incident that's been going on around here, have you?" Karen asked as she lay down alongside Kai.

Kai shook his head slightly, "Not really. I stayed down here at the beach all summer. It was odd that Zack never took interest in me or my business, but in the end I still felt the effect of his policies. Business wasn't very well until a few weeks ago. I take it that Rick did something during that time that made you upset with him, correct?"

"It wasn't what he did; it was what he didn't do." Karen sighed before retelling the entire story to Kai, but leaving out the reason as to her suicide attempt. "So, that's why I decided not to take interest in any relationships with guys. Hate to burst your bubble, but that includes you as well."

"I understand completely and I respect your decision. I didn't come here to talk to you just because you looked single and approachable. I'm not that much of a playboy. But, for future reference, can you tell me when you are back on the market? I want to be first in line." Kai smiled widely, telling Karen that he was just joking.

Karen looked over at Kai and returned his smiled. "I will." There wasn't any hint of playfulness in Karen's voice. She meant it.

The dock began to rock slightly as a pair of heavy footsteps approached the end of the dock. Karen and Kai both sat up and looked back to see who it was. Rick didn't seem none to pleased with his discovery, "First my sister and now my girlfriend? That's the last straw Kai."

(-)

Jack and Popuri hardly noticed the fireworks going off in the sky. They were too busy locking lips and groping each other lustfully to even take notice. Jack was kissing Popuri along her neck, nibbling at the nape of her neck between kisses. Then the young farmer began playing with the strings holding Popuri's corset in place. Suddenly, Popuri wriggled out of Jack's embrace. "What's the matter?" Jack asked, hoping that he hadn't gone too far and upset her.

"Jack… I have something that I need to tell you." Popuri admitted, hiding her face from the confused farmer.

"I don't care if you're a virgin or not," Jack interrupted. Popuri shot a killer glare at Jack, but her eyes were brimming with tears. Jack was quickly at her side, holding onto her consolingly, "I'm sorry."

Popuri broke away from Jack once again. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I'm a horrible person for what I've done."

This just added to Jack's confusion. She hadn't done anything to hurt him. If anything, she was the best thing that had happened to him since he had arrived in Mineral Town. "I don't understand…"

"Jack… I… You… I don't…" Popuri stammered, trying to think of the best way to tell Jack what was bothering her.

Suddenly, there was a pair of loud splashes from the direction of the dock, accompanied by a frightened scream. "It's Kai and Rick! They're fighting!" Someone cried out. Jack quickly jumped up to his feet and pushed his way to the front of the crowd, leaving Popuri still stammering under the umbrella. He would have wished that he had stayed to listen to her explanation, because it was unlikely that she would ever have the courage to tell him again in private.

(-)

_A/N: Well, we understand why Rick and Kai are fighting, but what was that secret that Popuri wanted to tell Jack? Probably was very important. See ya next time!_


	9. How To Make Things Worse: Part 1

Corruption

Chapter 9: How To Make Things Worse: Part 1

_A/N: In response to the numerous requests to speed up the updates, I bring forth this offering. I will try my hardest to do an update every 4 or 5 days, but it'll be hard with school, work, and my novel. Happy?_

(-)

"First my sister and now my girlfriend? That's the last straw Kai." Rick stood between the shore and Kai and Karen. His voice cracked slightly, which didn't lessen the strength of his threatening posture. He looked like a madman obsessed, his eyes glaring directly through Kai's skull. There even appeared to be a jet of steam shooting out of his nose, only appearing when a new firework exploded behind them.

Kai calmly rose to his feet, gesturing for Rick to simmer down, "Look man, I didn't know that you two were still an issue."

"We aren't." Karen added as she found herself clinging close by to Kai, using him as a meat shield before Rick.

"See?" Kai pointed out, before taking a cautious step towards Rick. The tanned sailor extended a friendly hand towards Rick. "Let's just pretend that you didn't make a fool out of yourself just now and you head back to shore?"

Rick looked down at Kai's outstretched arm with a strange twitching movement. The awkward flick quickly told Karen that they were dealing with a seriously disturbed individual. Rick deftly swept away Kai's hand and pushed past the bandana wearing youth. He was quickly in Karen's face, breathing hard down her neck, "Karen, this isn't like you; sinking to associating with scum like this urchin. Come with me and we'll go somewhere much nicer." Rick roughly tugged on Karen's elbow, but she stood firmly rooted to the wood planks. A surprised, yet angry look crossed Rick's face as he pulled at the girl a second time. When she refused to move once more, he raised his hand threateningly before her face.

"Ok buddy, its one thing to insult me. I can live with that. But touching a lady against her will is something that I won't put up with." Kai had stepped up beside Rick and grabbed hold of the arm that he was waving in front of Karen. Rick fell silent as he looked at Kai's hand wrapped around his wrist. A low, threatening snarl rumbled deep in Rick's throat. In the blink of an eye, Rick snapped, punching Kai squarely across the jaw.

The blow had been a solid one, causing the man of the sea to only fall to a knee, but he stayed conscious. Kai reached up, wiping away the trickle of blood that had formed from the cut on his bottom lip. He was actually laughing, almost as if he had been wanting Rick to hit him. Kai coiled suddenly sprung forward, tackling Rick with a vicious spear which sent both young men tumbling into the ocean.

Karen couldn't help herself; she let out a high pitched scream. Rick and Kai were still flailing at each other in the water, trying to hold the other under the water. "It's Kai and Rick! They're fighting!" A voice called out from the shore. Everyone on the beach crowded along the dock to watch over the fight while a few unidentifiable men dove into the water, making their way towards the combatants.

The group of men reached Kai and Rick, quickly separating the two. Even with a pair of men holding each of them back, they still tried to force their way towards the other. Kai was being hauled up onto the dock while Rick was being pulled towards shore. "We'll meet Kai, I promise! Next time, you won't have any friends to save your life!" Rick shouted out as he broke away from his escorts, running frantically towards town.

"Hey, four-eyes!" Kai's yell made Rick look back over his shoulder. Kai calmly pushed himself to his knees, staring Rick down with an unwavering glare accompanied by a one-finger salute. Rick returned the crude gesture before vanishing behind the bushes lining the town square.

Kai was rising to his full height, but couldn't hide the painful cringe he muffled as he straightened his torso. Karen was quickly at his side, clearly worried for the tanned ruffian. "Are you alright?" Karen asked, placing a tender hand across Kai's chest.

"Leave me be, I just want to be left alone."

The cold response made Karen withdraw her hand in surprise. _What did I do? I was just trying to be nice! _Kai solemnly made his way past the crowd of spectators, ignoring the confused looks that he was getting. Once Kai had disappeared into his seaside retreat, all eyes shifted to Karen, expectantly waiting for an explanation.

Luckily for Karen, Mayor Thomas raised his voice above the thunderous fireworks still going strong, "Alright everyone! Just sit back and enjoy the evening. We've waited too long for a festival to have it ruined because of one small incident. Carry on." Karen nodded politely to Thomas as the crowd began to disperse back to their seats.

"Nobody asked if you were alright." A calm voice stated from nearby.

Karen turned to face the owner of the familiar voice. Standing at the end of the dock was a completely drenched Jack. "I'm fine Jack," Karen whispered, suddenly becoming shy in the presence of the farmer.

"That water's really cold." Jack commented as he tossed his soaked hat down onto the dock. He gave his head a firm shake, much like a wet dog, causing his chestnut brown hair to form a wild mess atop his head. Karen couldn't help but chuckle at Jack's shaggy appearance, but inside of her, she felt her heart twinge strangely. It was almost as if she felt a special connection with the farmer… _No._

Jack smiled childishly as he squirmed uncomfortable in his drenched outfit. He hadn't been lying about the water being cold. He felt his shirt clinging against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine. Without a second thought, Jack pried his shirt over his head and tossed it next to his hat.

Karen wasn't smiling anymore. She forced the butterflies in her stomach to calm themselves, even with the sight of a handsome man without a shirt on standing directly before her. "I can't believe you Jack." Karen's voice was filled with disgust as she lashed out at the young farmer, "Learn how to take no as an answer!" Karen deftly reached over to Jack, slapping the confused farmer before turning on her heel and storming down the dock.

"What did I do to deserve that?" Jack asked incredulously, watching Karen make her way across the sandy beach. In his mind he hadn't done anything wrong. He wasn't even trying to impress her! _Maybe a little… _ Jack coolly collected the articles of clothing that he had removed before heading back down the dock. Popuri was waiting for him on the shore and she didn't look any happier than Karen had before she had stormed away. "Oh, hi Popuri. What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

Popuri responded with a slap of her own before storming off in the fashion similar to those who had gone before her that night. Jack shook his head in disbelief before looking up towards the heavens. "What now?" The farmer demanded as he started running over the sand. He quickly caught up to Popuri, who refused to recognize his presence. "What is your problem?"

"You want to know what my problem is?" Popuri suddenly turned to face Jack, forcing Jack to stop unless he wanted to knock the pink haired girl over and make things even worse. Her eyes were full of tears as she yelled, "I'll tell you what my problem is! My mother is dying and the only way I can help her is by… No, do you know what, I don't want to talk about it, ok?" Once again, Popuri turned her back towards Jack and continued on her way back towards her house. This time though, Jack let her go.

(-)

_A/N: People in Mineral Town need to learn how to calm down and quit taking everything so seriously. I'm a jerk for not revealing more of the grand picture. At least I'll have another update sometime before next Monday._


	10. How To Make Things Worse: Part 2

Corruption

Chapter 10: How To Make Things Worse: Part 2

_A/N: There, uploaded on time, just as I promised. Yeah, I'm surprised too._

(-)

Summer had come to an end. The final few days of the season had been rather awkward for Karen. She had tried quite a few times to locate Kai and attempt to explain everything to him. Every time that she had located Kai, Rick showed up to interrupt things and cause havoc. It was almost as if Rick had been following Karen around, stalking her.

Karen found herself growing paranoid. Whenever she was walking down the streets by herself, she swore that she could hear footsteps behind her, yet nobody was there when she looked. The problem had grown so bad that she had gone to Officer Harris, asking him to kindly do something on the matter. Harris promised Karen that he would speak with Rick, but couldn't guarantee that anything would happen. Still, the knowledge that someone was looking out for her was comforting.

The first day of fall had been just a regular day. Business was good for the Supermarket, especially with the new fall shipment creating excellent sales numbers for the day. Karen looked up at the clock on the wall beside the counter. Just a few minutes remained before closing time at five. _Maybe I'll just close up a few minutes early._

Karen casually walked over to the front door, where she gently turned the lock to the store. The blond haired shopkeeper returned to the counter, reaching for the clipboard resting against the cash register. Everyday, she paused when she picked up the clipboard, remembering watching her father counting stock. The memories were all that she hand of her kind and loving parents that had been taken from her so cruelly. She silently cursed Zack as she approached the nearest shelf.

A loud knock on the front door caused her to lose track of her tally. "We're closed!" Karen shouted out in the direction of the door.

"I know. I just would like to talk to you." It was Kai. Karen put down the clipboard and quickly ran over to the door. She jerked open the door after unlocking it and smiled at Kai. "Can I come in?" Kai asked politely.

Karen stepped aside, ushering Kai inside. She felt herself becoming flustered in Kai's presence, even though all he was doing was just smiling politely to her. "Kai… I… I want to apologize for…"

"No, don't. I should be the one apologizing. I acted like a jerk that night. I know that you and Rick were an item for a long time. It's a hard thing to let go of someone who you love." Kai winced at his own words, as if they spoke true to his own heart. Karen understood what he meant though. She and Rick had known each other since they were little children. That friendship had been something that both of them had treasured deeply. It was such a shame though that it had to end the way that it did.

Karen was snapped out of her daydream by a sudden warmth on her hands. There was Kai, gently holding her hands in his. Kai flashed a quick smile as he gazed into Karen's eyes. "Karen, if I may, I wish to do something that I should have done on the dock."

His face was just inches away from hers, his breath whispering along Karen's neck. Kai released Karen's hands, gently placing them instead on Karen's hips. Karen's eyes closed, anticipating the coming kiss eagerly. Her arms were wrapped around Kai's neck, pulling the sailor closer. Their noses brushed together briefly, their lips hovering just millimeters apart.

The kiss was soft and romantic, lasting for what seemed like forever before Kai pulled himself away from Karen. Kai simply smiled as Karen's eyes fluttered open. "Come with me." Kai whispered.

"What?" Karen asked, shocked by the suddenness of Kai's request.

"I'm heading back to the big city and I want you to come with me."

Karen seated herself on the seed table, staring at Kai. _Is he serious? _ "I don't know…"

Kai's smiled suddenly vanished, turning into a disappointed frown. "Oh, I see. Goodbye then." Kai averted his eyes as he turned towards the door.

"Kai, wait!" It was already too late. Kai's back had been turned to Karen and the bandana wearing sailor walked away from her. Karen stood in the doorway, shouting at Kai to come back. The calls were falling upon death ears.

Karen continued yelling after Kai until well after the sailor vanished into the distance. She gently pushed shut the door, locking it once again. Why she had reacted that way to Kai walking out on her was a mystery to her. She never even liked Kai. _He was just… me denying myself. _Karen picked up the clipboard, returning to her count. Angrily, Karen slammed the clipboard to the floor as she slumped to her knees. "I turned my back on the only man who truly cared for me."

"That's so kind for you to say Karen."

Karen felt a chill ride up her spine at the sound of the voice. "How did you get in here?" Karen demanded as she turned to face Rick, who stood in the doorway between the supermarket and the house section of the building.

Rick casually made his way over to the main door, making sure that the door was locked. "Oh, me? I let myself in while you were busy sucking face with that disgusting freak. I think that you owe me an apology for cheating on me."

"Look Rick. Get it into your head already! We broke up when you did nothing to help me when Zack was assaulting me!" Karen's voice faltered slightly as she attempted to make distance between herself and the advancing Rick. Karen suddenly darted behind the counter, frantically searching for something, "Where is it!"

"Looking for this?" Rick asked. Karen peeked over the counter to see Rick holding up a long knife. "That's not the way to treat your boyfriend."

"Damn you Rick!" Karen snarled, her eyes locked on Rick, not trusting the look that was on his face.

Rick had now cornered Karen behind the counter. Karen made a last ditch effort to vault over the counter, but Rick grabbed her around the waist violently. Cold steel was pressed up against Karen's neck as Rick pulled Karen back onto the floor. Rick was actually laughing to himself as he placed his free hand against Karen's stomach. Karen found herself freezing up, the déjà vu scaring her into a defenseless mess.

(-)

Jack was pacing back and forth nervously along the dirt path. In one hand, he held a bundle of flowers. Jack kept casting a nervous glance at the barn shaped house, telling himself to just go up there and get it over with. Finally, he gave in to what his brain was telling him. Nervously, he raised a hand to the heavy wood door, knocking ever so lightly. _No answer, good, just walk away. _Just as Jack began descending the stairs, the door inched open and Popuri poked her head out, "Hello? Oh, hi Jack!"

The farmer quickly jumped to face Popuri. The girl was smiling brightly at him, but remained in the doorway. Jack found himself stammering as he attempted to remember the speech that he had prepared earlier. His mind drew a blank. "These are for you," jack stated simply as he held forth the bouquet.

"Oh, you shouldn't have!" Popuri gingerly reached out to retrieve the gift, making sure not to open the door any further than it already was. Seeing Jack's skeptical look, Popuri laughed nervously. "I would invite you in, but I'm… naked. Sorry if I seem strange to you."

Jack nodded in understanding, "It's alright, I understand. I just wanted to give you those flowers. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Jack." Popuri whispered as she quickly shut the door.

Jack sighed to himself, disappointed that his romantic gesture went for not. He kicked at a loose pebble absent mindedly, watching as the rock bounced along the ground. The rock came to a stop as it struck someone's leg. Jack looked up to see Rick, who looked as if he had just been mauled by a bear. His clothes were torn wildly, he had blood across his face, and his glasses were broken. "What the hell happened to you?" Jack asked, his jaw slightly ajar as he stared at the disheveled poultry raiser.

Rick violently shoved jack aside as he made his way towards the door. Jack was about to warn him about his sister being naked inside but his eyes were drawn to what Rick held in his hand. Rick was clutching onto a patch of dark purple cloth. Jack recognized the fabric nearly instantly. It was the same fabric that Karen's vest was made of. Jack's mind was clouded over as he found himself running towards town in a frantic daze.

(-)

_A/N: You have a bad feeling in your gut right now, don't you?_


	11. Angst

Corruption

Chapter 11: Angst

_A/N: The following chapter contains scenes of violence, nudity and mature subject matter and is intended for an older youth audience. I've always wanted to use that disclaimer… But seriously, if any of the above offends you, don't read this chapter. Simple as that._

_As per request, I will reveal the tentative name of my novel in the works. It's entitled "The War of Granster". It's pretty much like Lord of the Rings, except more modern and focuses more on overcoming personal struggles. As I said, it's still being worked on, so no details are final. If you wish to keep up to speed, you can check in at my website, which is linked in my profile._

(-)

Blood had an intriguing color to it, like a rich red wine that flowed through your body. Karen couldn't help but to laugh at herself for the strange thought. She had thought that the last thing that went through your mind before you died was a slideshow showcasing your life. Instead, she was thinking about the color of her own blood as she lay in a growing pool of the vital fluid that was slowly draining the life out of her body.

Truthfully, Karen was still in shock that Rick had gone as far as he did. Sure, he had been acting strange lately, but not to that extent. It wasn't until she felt the knife pierce her chest that her naivety was shattered. She had looked at Rick, her eyes wide with terror and pain filled tears. He simple smiled, a cruel, haunting smile, as he jerked the knife loose, raising the weapon to strike again.

It was at that moment that Karen's will to survive kicked in. The bloodied girl launched herself at her attacker, her hands clawing wildly at his face. Rick uttered a string of obscenities as Karen raked her nails across his face, drawing fresh blood. Rick lashed out at her, but Karen stepped away from the knife. She reached behind her, hoping to find something to use to defend herself with.

Rick's smile continued to grow wider as he advanced on Karen, his knife hand twitching in anticipation. The next thing he knew, Karen was swinging a heavy bag of flour at him. Rick took the blow right in the face, smashing in his glasses. Karen lifted the flour above her head, hoping to strike another blow. This time as the bag came down; Rick sliced it open, rendering the weapon useless.

Karen's resistance had lasted for only a few seconds before Rick regained the upper hand with a vicious backhand across his former girlfriend's face. Karen tried to run, tried to escape the nightmare unfolding around her, but Rick grabbed hold of her vest. She tried to break free of Rick's grasp, but he was unwilling to give her the slightest hint of freedom. He stabber her once again, this time embedding the knife into her hip, forcing a terrified cry to escape Karen's lips.

Rick continued his assault for what seemed like an eternity. He was taking great pleasure in using his knife to cut away at Karen's clothing, not having a care about injuring her in the process. Karen begged for him to stop, but Rick would not listen. Rick was tracing his blade across her stomach, opening another cut with every plea for mercy.

Now, as Karen lay on the floor, her long blond hair pasted against her bare breasts, she found herself crying. It was a silent cry, with only her crystalline tears creating raindrop-like splashes as they fell from her sparkling green eyes. She wanted to call out for help but her voice had failed her amid her protests earlier. All she could do was choke back the sobs that racked her body. She was like an angel shot down from the heavens, helpless in the strange presence of death.

She knew that she was dying. It was an odd feeling, much too difficult to be put into words suitable to explain the peculiar event. If anything, it was like a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest. That burden had left a void, empty and lonely, all the while filling her with a gentle calm that she had never experienced before.

Karen closed her eyes, embracing this new feeling. She had always been afraid to die, yet now that she waited on the doorstep to heaven, that fear had left her. All that remained for her was to listen to the drum of her heart growing fainter.

Jack threw his shoulder into the door once again. The door shuddered from the blow, but still refused to break open. "Karen!" His cry was that of a wounded wolf, refusing to give up against the ravaging torment of nature. The farmer took another run at the door, once again getting the same result as he fell back in dismay. Still he plowed forward, ignoring the growing pain in his arm. He had only one thought on his mind: to save Karen.

A crowd had gathered to watch Jack's antics. "What's the matter with him?" One young man asked as he watched the farmer slam into the door once more. He was making progress, but not fast enough.

"I dunno. He keeps shouting out Karen's name. You think that something might have happened between them?" Somebody replied.

"But, I thought that Jack was dating Popuri, not Karen."

"He is, but he's got a huge crush on Karen."

"Oh… maybe we should help him?"

"We shouldn't. Karen probably locked him out of there for a reason."

By now, Officer Harris had shown up on the scene. The only police officer in Mineral Town quickly pried Jack away from the door. "Let me go! Karen needs help!" Jack protested, struggling against Harris' grasp.

Harris leaned over to take a look in one of the windows, "Can't see anything in there. The blinds are closed. What makes you so sure that Karen's even in there, much alone needing help?"

"Just trust me!" Jack shot back, breaking away from Harris. The farmer pushed his way through the crowd, lining himself up with one of the store's windows. Before anyone could stop him, Jack had launched himself through the glass and inside the Supermarket.

He saw Karen's naked body lying on the floor, surrounded by her own blood. Jack was at her side instantly. She was still breathing, very faintly, but breathing nonetheless. He quickly removed his own shirt, draping it over Karen to allow her some decency. The sound of crunching glass told him that someone had entered after him. Officer Harris was soon calling for someone to go get the Doctor. Jack ignored Harris' presence, whispering "I'm sorry" as he gently held onto the girl that he loved oh so dearly.

"Jack…" Karen's voice was barely above a whisper, yet it was the most pleasing sound that Jack had ever heard in his life. Her eyes were just barely open but they were locked with Jack's. Both of them had tears in their eyes, yet neither of them dared to blink. "Karen…" Jack whispered back, his voice quivered as he struggled to choke out her name.

"I guess that I needed a hero after all…" Jack could only nod his head in agreement.

Using what must have been the last ounce of energy in her body, Karen forced herself closer to Jack, surprising the farmer with a gentle kiss. Jack's eyes grew wide with surprise. He wished that he could have been happy with that kiss, but he wasn't. It was a kiss goodbye. Jack looked down at Karen's smiling face. She was struggling to keep her eyes open. It was a valiant fight, but one that she had already lost. "Go peacefully." He told her.

Jack gently rested Karen's head back to the ground before rising to his feet. Doctor Tim was just entering the window and shoved Jack aside. Jack cast a final glance down at Karen before making his way over to the window. "She's dead." Tim announced as Jack let himself out the window.

The crowd looked completely shocked with the announcement. Jack didn't pay any attention to them as he marched past them. He cast a look down at his blood soaked jeans and at his red hands. Right now, there was only one thing on his mind: revenge.

(-)

_A/N: No, this fic isn't over yet. There's still one more chapter to come. If you have any problems with me killing off Karen, please express them in a professional manner instead of insults and/or flames. It's just one favor that I ask as a writer. I'll try to make it all better with the ending… or will I? The ending is going to be… dramatic._


	12. Final Bloodshed

Corruption

Chapter 12: Final Bloodshed

_A/N: I am very surprised with the positive feedback that I received after that last chapter. I appreciate it. Truthfully, I was half suspecting somebody to say some choice things to me about that._

_Well, I had originally thought that this was going to be my final fic, but I had a recent idea for another fic. Sadly, it won't be a Harvest Moon fic. I'm still not entirely sure if I will be doing it, but we shall see._

_I should quit blabbering on about myself and give you guys what you want. Here's the conclusion to Corruption._

(-)

Jack was like an angry bull in the chute, just waiting to get the opportunity to tear apart anyone in his path. The young farmer was blinded with tormented rage as he ran down the street on his way to the Poultry Farm. He had left there only ten minutes ago, yet it seemed like an eternity. It was obvious to him that Karen was dead because of Rick, so it only seemed fair that Rick ended up dead because of what he did to Karen.

What had Karen ever done to deserve any of the hardships that she had suffered? Although Jack had never know her back when she was truly happy, he had heard many people recalling that she always had a mischievous smirk on her face. She was adventurous, quick witted, and a bit flirtatious. But, Jack never had the opportunity to see her like that. To him, she was an innocent damsel in distress who he had failed to save.

Jack rounded the corner onto the path that ran in front of his farm and the Poultry Farm. He could hear yelling coming from the Poultry Farm, "I won't do it!" It was Popuri's voice.

The door to the barn shaped house was left open. Jack barged inside without as much as a second thought. There was Popuri seated on the ground with one hand held up against her face as if she had just been struck. Beside her stood Rick, who had turned to face Jack. "What the hell are you…?" Rick was demanding until Jack shut him up with a hard punch straight to his jaw.

"Jack!" Popuri exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise and fear. Jack ignored the girl that he called his girlfriend as he grabbed hold of Rick's collar. Rick held up his hands to defend himself, but Jack continued his assault on the man who had killed Karen.

"Jack, stop!" Popuri pleaded, grabbing hold of Jack's punching hand before he could land another blow on the girl's brother. Jack looked down into Popuri's soft red eyes, watching as the shimmered with signs of early tears. He grudgingly let his fist unclench, much to Popuri's relief. Popuri gingerly let go of Jack's arm, only to watch the farmer punch Rick once more in the stomach before restraining himself. The young farmer's eyes still burned with a fierce bloodlust yet to be satiated. Popuri latched her arms around Jack's neck, staring him directly in the face, "Calm down Jack, please, for me?"

"Why should I? That bastard killed Karen!"

Popuri winced, "I know he did. He never meant to hurt her."

"Really? Then the fact that he's covered in Karen's blood is just a mistake?" Jack was barely controlling himself from attacking Rick, who had gone and huddled in the corner by the fireplace. "Tell me Rick, why'd you kill her?"

Rick refused to look Jack directly in the eyes as he tried to spit out his reply. "He told me to."

"Who told you?"

"Father did…" It was Popuri who supplied the answer to Jack's question. Jack had to do a double take just to make sure that he had heard correctly, "Father?" Popuri nodded her head solemnly before casting a nervous glance in the direction of the staircase. "Jack, you should go. You aren't safe here."

"No, I think I want to meet this father of yours and introduce myself." Jack cracked his knuckles loudly as he made his way to the base of the staircase. Barely had he placed his foot on the bottom step when he heard the floorboards overhead creak loudly. Somebody was walking towards the staircase. Jack stopped himself, a somewhat pleased smile on his face saying that he was happy that his challenge had been answered so swiftly.

That smile vanished quickly when a large, muscle bound man stepped into sight. "Zack!" Jack stated in disbelief as the shipper descended towards him. "Wait… Zack's your father?" Jack asked Popuri as he wisely began backing away from Zack.

"Kinda. He's Rick's father, not mine." Popuri whispered, sounding completely ashamed by the announcement.

Zack had a wicked smile on his face as he calmly strode over to the kitchen area. He was absentmindedly studying the assortment of knives before him while he spoke, "You're a good daughter, Popuri, even if you aren't my flesh and blood. You carried out my orders just like your brother did."

"What is he talking about, Popuri?" Jack demanded.

Zack's smile only grew wider. "Oh, you didn't know about that? Popuri here has been playing you for a fool ever since you "rescued" her. She was just paying her dear old dad a visit to get the medicine for my wife."

"Is this true?"

Popuri merely hung her head in shame. "I wanted to tell you, Jack. I'm sorry."

"I can't believe it. I trusted you, loved you even, and the entire time you were just helping Zack get his revenge?" The angry flames had returned to Jack's eyes, this time their ire aimed at Popuri.

The pink haired girl felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she tried to grab hold of Jack's hand, but the farmer brushed her away. "It isn't like that Jack. I fell in love with you." Popuri forced Jack to look her in the eyes, trying to get him to see that she was sincere. When Jack refused to even bat an eyelash at her, Popuri felt her heart ready to shatter. There was only one way she could convince him… Popuri pushed herself into Jack's arms, instantly warming to his touch as she kissed him passionately.

Just as soon as the kiss had started, the two were parted as Popuri violently shoved Jack to the side. Jack picked himself off the hardwood flooring and turned back to face Popuri, ready to express his displeasure, but he stopped himself. There was Zack standing directly above Popuri, his hand trembling around the knife that he had embedded into his step-daughter's chest. Popuri had pushed Jack aside to save him, sacrificing herself for him.

Jack watched as Popuri slumped to the ground, her body completely limp. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion to him. Both Zack and Rick were absolutely stunned with Popuri's action. Jack was the first to move, rushing to Popuri's side. Instead of checking to see if Popuri was alright, Jack claimed the knife and turned on Zack.

(-)

The date on the headstone was exactly one year old, to the date. It was a nice, warm fall day, with the leaves gently floating to the ground around the pair standing before the grave. One of them was a young man with a dark brown goatee. He was kneeling before the grave, his hand pressed gently against the cold stone marker. There was a single tear trickling down his cheek, which he promptly wiped away with the sleeve of his long black jacket.

A gloved white hand rested on his shoulder. "I'm alright." The man whispered, rising to his feet. He deftly brushed away the dirt from his pant leg, before locking arms with the gorgeous pink haired woman dressed in a long flowing white dress next to him. The pair hugged each other briefly before making their way into the chapel. They nodded politely to Rick, who was waiting in the entrance to the large building. "I'll be in shortly." Rick stated.

Rick nervously made his way into the grave area. He made sure that he was entirely alone before taking a seat on the dirt. "Well, I finally came to visit you. I understand that you can't talk to me, and if you were alive, you wouldn't talk to me anyways. I just wanted to apologize to you. I wasn't myself and I made a huge mistake by hurting you. Can you ever forgive me, Karen?"

A cold breeze suddenly swept across the path, sending a chill down Rick's spine. Rick's hair was blown across his face and a single leaf fluttered behind his glasses. Rick brought his hand up pull the leaf out of his eyes. He stopped his hand as he brushed across the long jagged scar that Jack had given him on that fateful day one year ago. Rick callously flicked the leaf aside, watching as it tumbled across the ground, coming to rest on another headstone.

"Oh, hi dad. I haven't forgotten about you. I'll come back to talk to you after Popuri's wedding." Rick stood up, casting a final look at Karen's grave. "I wouldn't forgive me either."

(-)

_A/N: Oh, I should have said this earlier, but it's an Inuyasha fic that I might be doing. Bye Harvest Moon section (maybe, haha)!_


End file.
